1. Field
The present invention relates generally to inventory management and in particular to a system and method for tracking inventory and to an inventory-tracking unit.
2. Description of Related Art
Inventory control is a primary concern for product retailers so that excess and insufficient inventory situations are avoided. Within a mortar and bricks environment, inventory is controlled by counting existing inventory at physical locations. Controlling inventory in this manner is however much more difficult and in fact impractical in environments where inventory is dispensed through stocked vending machines that are distributed over a large geographical area.
To deal with inventory control in these environments, service personnel are dispatched along service routes according to pre-set schedules so that the vending machines can be checked for inventory levels and proper operation. As will be appreciated, during a service route all vending machines along the service route are checked. In many instances, the checks reveal that the vending machines are operating properly and hold sufficient inventory. As a result, the checks are unnecessary. In other instances, the checks reveal that the vending machines have malfunctioned and/or are depleted of inventory, resulting in potential lost sales especially if delays exist between checks.
A similar problem exists in the medical supply environment where medical, surgical, biological and/or pharmaceutical supplies are stored in refrigeration units distributed throughout medical, research and/or educational facilities located at different geographical locations. In the past, dispatching medical supplies through these refrigeration units has been based on the honor system. Users removing supplies from refrigeration units are expected to list the removed supplies on charts posted on the refrigeration units so that supply usage can be tracked and costs assigned in the appropriate manner.
As will be appreciated, inventory control in this medical supply environment suffers similar problems to those encountered in the vending machine environment discussed above. Routine checks of all refrigeration units must be carried out to determine the inventory level and operating status of the refrigeration units. In many cases the checks are either unnecessary or late. The latter condition can be particularly problematic in the case where a refrigeration unit fails and the temperature within the refrigeration unit rises to a point where the inventory is spoiled. Inventory shrinkage is also a problem in the medical supply environment. In many instances, users removing supplies from the refrigeration units fail to record accurately the removed items. As a result, costs for the missing inventory cannot be assigned. As will be appreciated, improvements in inventory control in these types of environments are desired.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel system and method for tracking inventory and a novel inventory-tracking unit.